Much as I’d like to be, I admit that maybe I’m not as avid a reader as many of my Library colleagues and members. I do, however, have a very real appreciation for our open stacks and for the extraordinary opportunities they provide for scholars, dedicated readers, and those like me who make use of the Serendipity Method. These remarkable open stacks (a rarity in today’s world) are made possible in large part by the generous support from Library members that enables us to maintain and add to the collection to keep it strong.

Seeking inspiration for this post, I decided to spend some time visiting one of the stacks. I walked up the stairs, entered the first stack I came upon, and headed to the rear wall. I was in Stack 6, which houses fiction. I found myself facing a shelf of books by John Le Carré, and I remembered how much I enjoyed them. It began with Absolute Friends (2003) and ended with Single and Single (1999) neither of which I had read. However, on the shelf below I spotted some old friends, The Honorable Schoolboy (1977), The Looking Glass War (1965) and Smiley’s People (1980).

I believe that important discoveries or amazing “reunions” happen in the stacks every day. That is why your support of the Spring Appeal is so crucial. Thank you for giving as generously as possible.

So now that I have had my reunion with Le Carré, I am wondering if any of you have had similar experiences. Let me know at jzimmett@nysoclib.org.

Joan Zimmett
Director of Development